Her Love Means The Most To Me
by BLUEanimeGIRL025
Summary: A short RikkuPaine story. yes it's yuri, shoujo ai, lesbians, what ever you wanna call it so if you don't like it, please don't read it.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**__ of course, I own nothing of final fantasy._

_**A/N:**__ This is pretty much just a little story that I felt like writing. Nothing special. It's just, I haven't found many good Rikku/Paine stories on here, so I wanted to create one of my own. I am very fond of the Rikku-Paine pairing, it's one of my favorites. And I needed this to get away from some of my other stories for the moment, so here you go. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. _

_**A few things about the story…**__ It takes place aboard the Celsius. It doesn't really have a time setting within the games, but it's from before they found Tidus so… yeah._

_**This IS a yuri shoujo-ai lesbian girlxgirl whatever-you-want-to-call-it story, so… IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T READ IT. No flaming please.**_

* * *

Rikku was surprisingly light. But oh _god_ why had Paine agreed to carrying the sleeping girl back to the cabin? First of all, making it to the lift was difficult enough, but next she knew she had to walk up a set of steps. As mentioned before, Rikku was quite light, but that wasn't the problem; carrying a sleeping person bridal-style in a stuffy elevator and up a flight of stairs was just plain _awkward._

Scowling, and trying not to stumble as she made her way across the cabin, Paine glanced down at said sleeping girl, only to see Rikku's eyes quickly flutter shut. "I saw that," Paine muttered under her breath.

Rikku looked up guiltily. "Sorry," she replied with a nervous laugh.

Paine kept right on walking, scowling next at the steps she would soon have to battle her way climbing up. "How long have you been awake?" the warrior demanded quietly.

"Pretty much since you picked me up."

"And you were going to let me suffer by carrying you all the way to your bed?"

Rikku gave another little laugh. "I can walk from here, if you put me down." She paused. "…Am I really that heavy?"

"Not heavy," Paine replied as she began working her way, step-by-step, up the stairs. "just… awkward. And no, I'm _not_ going to let you walk from here. I started this and I'm going to finish it."

"Whooo-hoo mission time!" Rikku exclaimed in her usual loud, perky voice, also throwing a cheering arm up into the air as she did so. Paine, balanced on the heel of one foot, and with the other foot lifted and ready to catch the next step, of course lost her balance at Rikku's shifting weight, and fell backward.

The two girls began to tumble down the steps together, but Paine managed to get a foothold halfway down and did a back flip, landing gracefully on the ground. That left Rikku to topple the rest of the way down, doubtlessly getting bruised and scraped all along the way. Finally she landed on her bottom at Paine's feet with an "oof!" and began to rub a bump on her head. "Owie," she said miserably.

"That's what you get," Paine said coldly, even as she crouched down to examine the other girl's hurts. She sighed. "You seem to be alright. Nothing too serious. Nothing sprained. Nothing broken. You'll be fine. Now get up off your butt and go to bed."

Instead of doing as Paine so _kindly_ suggested, Rikku just had to be difficult. The blonde girl looked up at Paine with big watery eyes, filled to the brim with false tears and innocence, and stretched out a hand close to the other woman's face. "It got scraped on the rail on the way down," the blonde said, her lower lip trembling. Paine didn't have a clue what the girl was talking about though; as far as scrapes and bruises go, she couldn't see a _thing_ wrong with the Rikku's hand.

"What do you want me to do about it?" she finally demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"Kiss it and make it better?"

"No-way," she said flatly. Ugh, sometimes she just couldn't _believe_ the things Rikku came up with.

"Please?" the girl asked all innocently, putting on her best pouty-face.

Paine sighed, irritated beyond words. The girl would never leave her alone until she did. She could just see it now; Rikku running up to Brother and Yuna in the bridge and telling them on and on about what a "big meany" Paine was for not "kissing it and making it better."

So, she landed a quick peck on the girl's hand.

With that, Rikku grinned hugely and popped right up onto her feet. "Thanks!" she squealed happily, and Paine couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Whatever."

Just then, Rikku threw her arms around Paine, squeezing tightly. "Hey!" the warrior exclaimed. "No hugging! I don't _do_ hugging!"

"Aaaaaww, you know just what to say," Rikku replied in the most _infuriating_ voice ever.

"Get-off-me-NOW." It was Paine's "do what I tell you or die" voice, which usually didn't work on Rikku, but she still used it a lot anyway.

Rikku finally did, thankfully, let go and give Paine some room to breathe, and Paine spent the next few minutes chasing the girl all around the airship with sword in hand, ready for the kill. Rikku, who spent that particular time running from her, simply giggled and taunted the warrior, hiding behind corners and random objects, then popping out at the most inopportune moments to give Paine another tight hug or, even worse, a peck on the cheek.

Rikku must have thought of it as a fun little game; Paine couldn't have said half as much.

* * *

That night, Paine woke in the middle of the night from a nightmare she couldn't even remember, heart pounding wildly in her chest. Staring up into the darkness, she hoped that she hadn't woken either of the other women. As she sat up, though, she saw with surprise that both Yuna and Rikku were missing from their beds, and were in fact, not in the cabin at all. Getting out of bed, she quickly slipped on some pants -since she usually just slept in her underwear… what was the point of changing at night if she was just going to put on the same leather clothes again in the morning?- and left the cabin.

After a little searching, she finally found the other two girls in the engine room, sitting on the stairs near the floor. Why here though? She had expected them to be somewhere more predictable, like the deck or the bridge… but surely not in the stuffy engine room. It took Paine a moment to realize that Yuna and Rikku were having quite a serious conversation. At first, she didn't think much of the way Rikku was sitting -hugging her knees and with her head down- or about how not-perky and un-Rikku-ish the girl was being.

But then she caught the first few snatches of quiet conversation over the loud clanking of the moving machines. "Why won't you tell me what's the matter?" Yuna asked. The former summoner was crouched down at Rikku's side, looking concerned and doing her best to see the blonde girl's hidden face.

"It's just…." Rikku sighed. It sounded like she was crying. Paine stopped in her tracks, crouching down quickly so that neither girl would notice her. She sat near the edge of the balcony, listening intently to the girls below. "Yuna, you wouldn't understand."

"Try me," the young optimist replied.

"Well…." Rikku seemed to be having difficulty with getting her words out. "It's hard… it's hard to say what I'm feeling. I'm just so confused." Yes, Rikku was definitely crying, if the sudden broken sob and sniffles were any indication.

"Oh, don't cry. It's alright." Paine peered over the side to see Yuna with an arm around Rikku, who was still hiding her face from view. "Come on, you can tell me what's wrong." When Rikku still didn't reply, Yuna went on. "I owe you so much Rikku. You have protected me all this time, through my journey and even now, afterward. You faced Sin with me, as my guardian and as my friend. You comforted me and gave me a boost of energy when I needed it. You were always the life of the party." Yuna laughed lightly. "Goodness knows we needed it. Everyone else in the group was always so serious. You were always there to make us laugh, and be happy, even when we were in the worst predicament. You added… comic relief, I guess you could say."

Paine was surprised to find that Yuna's words to Rikku actually… hurt a little. Of course, Rikku had always been so dedicated to Yuna. She had always been so willing to lay her life on the line… for Yuna. Paine knew, that Yuna _thought_ she knew why Rikku was always so eager to help her out…. Yuna thought that Rikku was just a really good friend. Yuna thought that the reason why Rikku always smiled whenever she was around, was just to cheer her up. And maybe that last one was true, a little. But Paine had… different thoughts on the matter.

"I've never known a truer friend than you," Yuna continued. Paine saw that Rikku had finally lifted her face, staring at Yuna and listening carefully to her words. "So of course, I'm always here to help you, and for you to talk to, whenever you need it. You helped me in such a way that… I can probably never repay you. But I will try. If you're sad, I'm not just going to step aside and watch you cry. Please, you must tell me what's wrong. It will make you- it will make us _both_ feel much better… and maybe this time, I can be the one to cheer _you_ up." Yuna smiled slightly. "If it's a secret, I promise, I won't tell."

There was a long moment of silence before Rikku answered. Finally, the girl gave a sigh and spoke. "Thanks. For the compliments. It does make me feel better. I was always so happy to protect you. Sometimes, it seems like I didn't protect you enough. But, I'm glad that we're friends. I'm glad we're in the Gullwings together. But I…." She trailed off, and would not continue.

Why was this so difficult for Paine to hear? Was it because she felt bad about eavesdropping?

"What is it, Rikku?" Yuna asked. "It's okay, you can tell me."

Paine glanced over to see Rikku nod once. The girl had her back turned, so Paine couldn't see her face. "Well… all those times you said I was there for you, all those times I helped you out and everything…. Well, I know how much you love Tidus and all but… didn't you ever feel anything… more? From me?"

Paine held her breath. Inside she couldn't help but think, _I knew it._

"More…?" Yuna asked quietly. She took a deep breath and sighed. "More." There was another long moment of quiet, except for the noise of the engines of course. "Rikku," Yuna finally began. She said her words slowly and carefully, saying them as if each one might accidentally set off a ticking time bomb if spoken the wrong way. "If I ever felt anything more than friendship from you, it was a closeness like… sisterhood. A family bond. But nothing other than that."

"…Oh." Rikku sounded disappointed, but not completely devastated. "That's okay. That's what I figured anyway…. So that's why I don't care about you that way anymore. I mean, I do still love you Yunie, but it's like you said; just as family, like sisters or something. But still… as much as I treasure you as friend and family, there's someone else right now who is very... special to me. Like our star blitzball player is to you." Rikku gave a little laugh. Paine had never before heard the girl sound so serious.

"Well, I'm very glad to hear that Rikku," Yuna replied. In fact, she _did_ sound quite relived. Paine couldn't help but feel a little relief herself. "But that still doesn't explain why you're crying," Yuna continued.

"…Well, the person who I like… I don't think that person really cares about me that way. And… I can't tell her- uh, that person." It was a small slip up, but it made Paine smile. So… Rikku liked a girl eh? A girl _other_ than Yuna? Now, who could _that_ possibly be?

She had heard enough. Slowly, and as quietly as possible, Paine made her way back to the lift and left, headed for bed again. Rikku would tell her, in time, she was sure. But for now, she was content with waiting. All those surprising little hugs and kisses on the cheek, how she had wanted Paine to carry her even while she was pretend-sleeping… a lot of things suddenly made sense.

It was at least another hour or so before either Rikku or Yuna entered the cabin for bed, but Paine was already dead asleep. She wouldn't even wake when Rikku sat at her side on the bed and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. She wouldn't even wake when Rikku laid a hand lightly on one of hers. And of course, Paine wouldn't wake from the contented silence of Rikku sitting next to her, watching as she slept, and Paine wouldn't wake from the peace and comfort she felt as she laid there with one hand clasped unconsciously with one of Rikku's.

Rikku didn't think Paine knew her true feelings yet, but then again… that was okay. For now, everything was… everything was okay.


	2. Chapter 2

Mission time again for the Gullwings. A sphere in Djose, or around the Mi'ihen Highroad? Well, according to Shinra, there was one _somewhere_ in that general area. So here was their mission; find the sphere, and bring her home to the Celsius. Well, easier said than done.

"Shinra," Paine called in to the airship, not bothering to hide the annoyance in her voice. "Do you have any idea where the sphere might be?"

"…I'm just a kid," came the infuriating reply.

Paine, trying to keep her cool, placed a hand on her forehead and sighed. "Alright," she said to her two teammates. "Let's just find this sphere and get out of here."

"Righteo!" Rikku exclaimed cheerfully, throwing an enthusiastic arm up into the air and hopping up on one foot. That was just like Rikku; so optimistic and bouncy. It was almost enough to make Paine sick…. Well, for the moment anyway. She'd get over soon enough. Sometimes Paine figured that it was Rikku's constant cheerfulness that kept their little group together. A nice balance of optimism, seriousness, and of course, Paine's-I'm-gonna-kick-your-ass-ness. In fact, each girl's attitude _was_ what kept the Gullwings together. There wouldn't be a group at all if one were absent...

Which is why Paine was a little concerned about what would happen if Yuna ever found this blitzball player she was always talking about. Sure, Paine would be able to survive without the other two girls but…. She had never had so much fun in her life. She had never laughed so much, or felt so much for friends than these two. Rikku and Yuna, and even Brother and Buddy and Shinra… she had sort of adopted them as her own family.

What would happen if the group split? Well, Rikku and Yuna would still be close friends of course, because Rikku had been there for Yuna throughout her journey as a summoner. And if Rikku and Yuna were still close, Brother and the others wouldn't be too far behind. So where did that leave Paine? If the Gullwings were ever no more, they would just forget about her wouldn't they? And what did that mean? Were her adventures with the two girls all for nothing?

But Paine refused herself to let herself think about it at the moment. They were on a mission, after all; to find a sphere. That was the whole point of the Gullwings. Sphere hunting. She would have plenty of time to worry later.

"Yuna!" Paine called suddenly, noticing for the first time the fiend sneaking up on her friend.

"Yunie!" Rikku cried as the beast lunged at Yuna.

Before any one of them had a chance to react, Captain Lucil of the Chocobo Knights was there, weapon of choice in hand. She took care of the Wild Wolf fiend with one strike of her sword. The fiend gave a yelp of pain as it fell to its side and faded away into little pyreflies, which floated into the air and soon disappeared. "That was a close one," Elma breathed as she and Clasko came up next to the little group. With them were three tall, yellow chocobos. Paine absentmindedly rubbed one of their beaks, and the large bird squealed in delight.

"Aw, I've always loved chocobos," Rikku gushed, patting one of them happily. Paine couldn't help but smile slightly.

Yuna was smiling as well. "Thank you, Captain Lucil. That fiend would have had me for sure if it weren't for you."

"You must learn to be more careful, High Summoner. I thought you had learned your lessons well during your Journey on the way to fight Sin, but it seems as if you're slipping."

Yuna looked embarrassed by that. "Thank you, for the advice. I'll be sure to watch out for myself next time."

Lucil finally smiled. "Of course, we wouldn't want anything to happen to the High Summoner. It's good to see you again, Yuna, and you're friends as well."

Yuna laughed. "It's good to see you too. How have the Knights been doing lately?"

"Things have been going quite well, actually," Elma reported. "Still the occasional outbreaks of fights between Youth League and New Yevon, but that's nothing new. We were just on our way to the Calm Lands, actually. Our supply of chocobos has been a little short this year."

"What's been happening with the chocobos?" Rikku asked, still playing with one of them.

"It's those fiends again, the Chocobo Eaters. There are just too many of them for us to handle."

"If you'd like for us to, we could take a few of them out for you," Paine offered.

"Oh would you do that Lady Yuna?" Clasko asked. "Those poor defenseless chocobos... I hate seeing them being taken from us like this."

"Of course we will!" Rikku exclaimed brightly. "Right Yunie?"

Yuna smiled again. "Of course. We're glad to be of help."

"By the way, have any of you seen any spheres around here?" Paine asked. "We've gotten a report of one being somewhere near this area."

"Oh, so that's why you're here," Lucil observed. "Hm... well, there is only one place I can think of where one might be. There's been rumor lately of a little cave just off Mushroom Rock, not far from where Operation Mi'ihen took place. I'd suggest you look there first."

"Thank you very much," Yuna said, bowing. "And we will try to help you with your fiend problem."

So, the rest of the day was spent searching for the sphere and the cave, and fighting off Chocobo Eaters. _So_ fun.

Actually, to Paine, it wasn't so bad, even though she complained a lot. Fight fiends and search for spheres; it was what the Gullwings did. Plus she had Rikku and Yuna there, so that always made things better. As much care as Paine put into hiding her true feelings, she _was_ glad for the two other girls being there. Without them, she wasn't sure where she'd be.

Well, the sphere wasn't found, and eventually the group decided to call it a night and get back to the Celsius. Then the next day, they were back on the job again. It started out the same as the day before; searching and fighting, searching and fighting... Paine wouldn't be surprised if there weren't any Chocobo Eaters left in all of _Spira_ by the time this Mission was over. Then, finally, something happened.

The Gullwings had finally gotten frustrated and had decided to split. Yuna went one way, Rikku and Paine another. Yuna always went her own way. Also, the young High Summoner was probably trying to set up an opportunity for Rikku and Paine, since she knew the way that Rikku felt for her.

Paine tried to keep her mind on the mission at hand.

Finally, they contacted one another and decided that Yuna should keep looking, while Paine and Rikku went to the Youth League camp to find Lucil and Elma, in order to ask them exactly where the cave was supposed to be. Well, they found the two women, and made a shocking discovery.

Elma and Lucil were standing a way away from the camp, which wasn't very unusual for them, what _was_ unusual, however, was the fact that neither Clasko nor any chocobos were near them. They looked to be having a serious conversation, so Rikku and Paine hid behind a rock wall not too far away. "Do you think we should go and ask them?" Rikku whispered, trying to see around Paine.

"Shh! Stop it, they're going to see you."

"Yes, Captain," they heard Elma say then.

"Must you always be so formal?" Lucil asked. Paine peered over the side at the two women.

"You _are_ the captain, after all," Elma replied simply.

"Yes, but we've been friends since we were girls. The fact that I am your boss doesn't change us that much." Lucil walked to the cliff's edge, with her back to the other woman. Elma was quiet. "Have you thought about my proposal?" Lucil's voice was nearly a whisper; Paine barely heard it at all.

"Yes I have... Captain," Elma said just as quietly.

"And...?"

"And, I have decided."

Lucil turned to face her. "What is your decision?" Her expression seemed torn between staying reserved and being in pain.

"I..." Elma seemed reluctant to answer, almost embarrassed. "Yes," she whispered. "If you will still accept it, then my answer is yes."

Lucil took a hesitant step forward. "You are sure about this?"

Elma kept her gaze steadily on the ground. "Very."

Lucil crossed the rest of the distance between them and pulled Elma into her arms. Paine looked away, blushing furiously.

"Wow," Rikku exclaimed quietly, still watching. "That's... interesting."

"Let's get out of here," Paine beckoned.

Once they were a safe distance away, Paine gave a sigh of relief. She looked up to see Rikku grinning silently. "I can't believe it," the girl laughed. "_Lucil_ and _Elma_? Haha." She paused thoughtfully for a moment. "I'm happy for them though."

"Yeah, real happy," Paine said rolling her eyes. "I just wish we hadn't been there to see it."

Rikku's smile slipped for a second. "You're against it?"

Paine was sure she was asking for more than just whether or not she approved of Lucil and Elma's relationship; she was asking what Paine thought of two women being together. Blushing slightly again, she said, "That's not important right now. What _is_ important, is finding this sphere. Come on, let's go see if Yuna's found the cave yet."

Not bothering to hide her disappointment, Rikku followed.

* * *

As a matter of fact, Yuna _had_ found the cave.

"Well that saves us a lot of trouble," Paine said with a slight sigh of relief. Neither she nor Rikku spoke of what they had seen earlier. "Now let's get in there and find this sphere."

The cave wasn't very big, but it was big enough, and it was full of super tough fiends. Somehow, though, they managed to make it through, and they finally found the sphere they had spent so much time looking for. There really wasn't anything of any significance on it. It was actually a sphere of Zanarkand, and it was a thousand years old. It showed part of a blitzball game... it showed a clear picture of Tidus' face. Once the sphere was over, Yuna held it close to her heart, a pained look on her face. Paine knew that Yuna wouldn't let Shinra make this it into a dress sphere; one with Tidus on it was too precious to her for that.

Back on the Celsius, Yuna was quiet. She bid everyone goodnight and headed for the cabin, probably to sit on her bed and watch the sphere a few more times before drifting off to sleep and dreaming of her star blitzball player. As for Paine, she decided to sit up on the deck. It was a quiet night. The stars shone brightly above her head, and wisps of cloud moved silently by as the airship sailed slowly through the night sky. Below the ship, Spira was silent and sleeping, a few fires here and there to indicate that a few were still awake.

Paine sat on the edge with her legs dangling over the side, enjoying the breeze - she wasn't afraid of falling. She soon lost track of time, and so she wasn't sure how long she had already been up there by the time the door to the deck opened and Rikku stepped out. She seemed to be looking for someone, and as soon as her eyes touched Paine, the girl stiffened slightly. She walked over with a casual smile on her face and stretched as she plopped down next to Paine, yawning loudly. It was too bad the act was ruined by her hands shaking slightly; it was otherwise flawless.

For a while, all was quiet. All in all, it was kind of awkward. Paine wished that Rikku would hurry up and just say something. "Poor Yunie. That sphere really upset her didn't it?"

"Yeah," Paine answered shortly. She didn't mean to sound so rude, but why did Rikku always have to talk about Yuna so much?

"So what did you think of Elma and Lucil today?" the girl asked. It was obvious that this was really what she had been waiting to ask, by the way she avoided looking at Paine when she said it, and also by the serious tone of her voice.

"I think they can do whatever they want. If they're happy this way, I guess it doesn't bother me much."

"Oh," Rikku replied delicately.

There was a tense silence that followed. Neither said a word, but it was even more awkward than before. The two girls were tottering on the edge of something important that was about to happen; Paine could feel it in the air. All she had to do was wait.

Paine could tell that Rikku was uncomfortable. The girl obviously had something big she was reluctant to say. Her movements were slight and too stiff, her eyes were wide with the effort of keeping calm. Paine could almost hear the little gears running in Rikku's head. Finally... "Paine?"

"Yeah?"

"...What do you think of me?"

She wasn't sure what to say. Paine was quiet for a moment, thinking. "What do you mean?" she eventually asked.

"I just want to know."

She sighed. "I think you're a nice girl. You're a good friend, and you keep spirits up. The Gullwings wouldn't be the Gullwings without you." Paine bit her tongue to keep herself from saying more. She hadn't meant to say that much. She hadn't meant to say anything about anything that reminded her of how worried she got at the thought of the Gullwings splitting up.

Rikku, however, smiled. "Really?" Paine nodded slightly. "Aw, thanks Dr. P." Rikku's laugh was one of relief and she punched Paine playfully in the arm, and Paine couldn't help but smile slightly back at her.

"Why did you want to know?" Paine asked.

"Hm..." she said thoughtfully. There was optimism in her voice again. "Well, there's this person that I really like. I just wanted to know what someone thought of me, because maybe they think the same thing."

"Ah."

There was silence again for a while. The tension in the air returned, but not nearly so fiercely as it had been a moment before. There was something Rikku wanted to say, Paine was sure of it. Out of the corner of her eye, Paine saw the other girl's mouth open time and time again, as if to say something, but no sound ever came out. Was it really so difficult to say?

"Paine, I really like you," Rikku finally said. Her voice was almost a whisper.

Paine blushed, despite her best efforts not to, and was glad for the darkness. Perhaps Rikku couldn't see how red her cheeks were. She thought for a moment, not saying a word. Finally, she decided to lighten the mood. "Such a serious attitude Rikku. It doesn't really suit you."

As expected, Rikku gave an aggravated little huff, and Paine smiled. The girl crossed her arms and tried her best to look angry. "Didn't you hear what I just said?" she demanded.

"I heard you."

"Well...?"

"Well what?"

Rikku looked almost like she wanted to scream. "You don't have anything to say about it?"

"Why do we have to talk about it?"

Rikku looked startled. "What?"

"I know you like me. I like you too. Do we need to talk about it?"

Astonishment on Rikku's face slowly faded away, only to be replaced by a small smile. "Do you really?" she asked.

"Of course," Paine said with a shrug, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"...we _are_ talking about the same thing aren't we?" Rikku asked anxiously. "I mean... you like me as just a friend?"

Paine looked at her gravely. "You're actually going to make me say it aren't you?" Rikku didn't reply, she just sat there watching her. Paine turned away so she wouldn't have to face that look. "More than friends," she said, embarrassed.

Abruptly, Rikku laughed, a high-pitched, unexpected, relieved laugh, and she threw her arms around Paine with a squeal of delight. "Whoa!" Paine exclaimed as they nearly went tumbling over the edge of the airship. Rikku scooted away an inch or two. "Whoopsie," she said. "Sorry."

Paine brushed herself off slightly. " 'Sorry' wouldn't have quite covered it if we had gone overboard."

Rikku just laughed and looked at her. The expression on her face was a mix of all sorts of things - anxiety, hesitation, but somehow enthusiastic and happy. Paine sighed. "Alright, come here." She pulled the startled girl into her arms.

After a moment, Rikku rested her head against Paine's shoulder, and together they sat like that for most of the rest of the night. It was the longest Paine had ever seen Rikku stay quiet. Finally, she glanced down to see the other girl asleep, and she sighed. It looked as if she would be carrying her to the cabin again, as much of a hassle as it had been last time. Ah well, Paine thought as she looked down at her. She really didn't mind so much.

* * *

She finally got Rikku to her bed, and Paine sighed, exhausted. She had forgotten exactly how much of a hassle it had been the time before. She sat next to Rikku's sleeping form on the bed to catch her breath. On the way out of the lift, she had run into Yuna, who had been leaving the cabin. The summoner took one startled look at them, then gave Paine a knowing smile. Paine had given her a dangerous look that said not to say a word. Silently, they passed each other, and Yuna had left. Rikku and Paine were alone in the cabin for the moment. Paine wasn't sure where the bartender was.

Rikku's eyes fluttered open, and she took in the sight of Paine, breathing heavily, at her side. "Aw Dr. P. you didn't have to carry me all the way up here," she said sleepily.

"You're tired. Go back to sleep."

Paine stood as if to leave, but Rikku caught her arm. "Not until you give me a goodnight kiss," she said with a small smile.

"You can't be serious," Paine said incredulously, but Rikku just looked at her. Paine knew that the girl could see how red her cheeks were this time. Finally she sighed, and turned back to Rikku.

Abruptly the two were caught up in a passionate kiss, holding one another tightly as if afraid the other would disappear. Finally, Paine pulled away. "Happy now?" she said quietly, keeping her arms about the girl.

Rikku smiled. "Yes." She rested her head on Paine's shoulder, rubbing her nose against her neck. "Do you really have to go now?" she asked.

Paine thought... back to when she and Yuna had passed a few moments earlier.

_I'm sure that when Rikku loved her, Yuna was grateful for the girl's support. But the way that Rikku cared about her wasn't what was most important to Yuna. What was most important to _Yuna_ was the very same thing that's still important to her now; Tidus, and the safety of Spira. Rikku understands that. That's why she doesn't feel the same for Yuna anymore. So… she feels that way for _me_ now._ Paine smirked. _But unlike Yuna, I can accept it. As far as Rikku's feelings go, her love means the most to_ me_…. _

"I guess I can stay for a little while," she answered.


End file.
